Born and raised in Chatham-Kent, Andrea Pepper is a proud community member who believes deeply in the importance of giving back. As a professor at St. Clair College and a busy mom of five, she balances her time between the hockey rink, badminton matches, and DIY projects at home.
Community is at the heart of everything Andrea does, and after hearing a powerful presentation from United Way, her deep-rooted connection to Chatham-Kent led her to become a United Way Champion at the College. When the call came out for help, she jumped at the opportunity to lead the charge saying, “The United Way touches so many, in so many ways – how can you not want to help?”.
Andrea’s approach to the role is simple: “Go all in and have fun!”. This year, that philosophy helped the St. Clair College Thames Campus achieve “cloud nine” energy through several creative fundraisers for United Way.
A standout highlight was the “Pop that Gives Back” fundraiser—a clever spin on her last name—where she sold 20 cases of Dr. Pepper to her students, sending her husband to the store twice for restocks. She also embraced the campus Chili Cook-off, leaning into the competitive spirit jokingly telling her students that while they can eat any chili they want, they should vote for hers!
The results were record-breaking, with the campus surpassing last year’s total, but the real win for Andrea was seeing the students’ enthusiasm. “The fact is, some of the students participating in the events might access the United Way resources,” she notes, “Seeing the smiling faces, seeing the enthusiasm during each event – that’s when I know we are making a difference”.
United Way’s long-standing partnership with St. Clair College continues to drive meaningful impact. While we are incredibly grateful for Andrea’s leadership, she is quick to emphasize that it’s a team effort. ‘I can’t take all the credit,’ Andrea explains, noting how Thames Students Inc. (TSI) members even braved the ‘Pie Your Professor’ fundraiser to help the cause. United Way would like to extend a special thank you to TSI for their time and support, as well as to the donors and volunteers who give back to make CK a brighter community.